5 New Albums You Must Listen To! – April 2023
By Philippe Martin 05/05/2023
April 2023’s list of best albums is very diverse as a mix of hard street records and an excellent RnB record were released. The Canadian artist Daniel Caesar finally releases a new album and Flatbush Zombies’ Juice presents his first solo LP. Underground veterans Nicholas Craven and Grafh let loose some amazing projects while the newcomer Fuego Base shows what he has to offer for the current rap renaissance.
With that being said, here are the best albums of April 2023. This list contains many independent placements from artists who dropped great albums and some mainstream releases that deserve the attention they have been getting. Let us know in the comments what you think about these and if any other albums deserved to make this list.
- Daniel Caesar – NEVER ENOUGH
- Zombie Juice – Love Without Conditions
- Mike Shabb & Nicholas Craven - Shadow Moses EP
- Fuego Base & Black Soprano Family – Biggest Since Camby
- Grafh & 38 Spesh - Art of Words
Daniel Caesar – NEVER ENOUGH
Daniel Caesar is back with a new studio album that solidifies his position as an RnB grandmaster. Four years after “CASE STUDY 01”, the contagious sound of “NEVER ENOUGH” is more mature and cohesive than his previous work. With 18 songs on the deluxe version, the hour of beautiful music passes by quickly as the Canadian artist builds a world filled with love and melancholy.
The excellent second track “Valentina” features a beautiful hook and a moody beat. Overall, every collaboration on the album feels natural and amplifies the melodies to another level. Whether it be Mustafa on “Toronto 2014” or Ty Dolla $ign on “Homiesexual”, they perform well to add value to the well-produced tracks. The dreamy ballad “Always” is the perfect love song as it hits every emotional note with grace.
Released 04/07/2023
Zombie Juice – Love Without Conditions
Following a batch of amazing singles, the Flatbush Zombies artist Zombie Juice releases his first solo project, allowing him to trace his own path in a vulnerable way. By singing and creating beautiful melodies, Juice has always been the Flatbush group member that experimented with his voice and searched for a different angle to approach his talent. On “Love Without Conditions”, he shows the different sides of his personality while staying artistically consistent with his instrumental and collaboration choices.
“Alto” was released in 2021 while “Dizzy” and “Hikari” were released recently, making this a familiar yet fresh listening experience. Apart from his Flatbush Zombies and Underachievers peers, he gets help from Col3trane, Curren$y, JGRREY, and Devin the Dude. “Dr. Miami” features a drill beat that stands out among the tracklist, and Juice knows exactly what to do to sound menacing and inspire respect. Many songs are emotionally raw, throwing out the window any New York thug attitude and letting a man speak about his dark feelings.
Released 04/21/3023
Mike Shabb & Nicholas Craven - Shadow Moses EP
Following the excellent singles “Save the Joker” and “Respectfully”, the Montreal pair finally release a short joint project together in the EP format. “Shadow Moses” may mark their first official collaboration under both their names, but Mike Shabb and Nicholas Craven have worked a lot together in the past years. Craven produced many tracks from Shabb’s solo projects and mentors him with the business side of his musical career. The results are in, and they don’t disappoint. The EP is sonically dark and moody, but Craven’s sample-based production balances the energy with melodic voices and calm drums.
“Smokin Samson” is a great opener as Mike Shabb is lyrically sharp and focused on bringing the listener into his violent world. Like many other songs off “Shadow Moses”, the track finishes with a spoken outro that features a live recording of a Nicholas Craven show where he interacts with his Montreal audience. A nice opportunity to learn some French slang from one of Canada’s greatest talents right now. “All Greatness” has the best melodies from the young rapper and “Play for Keeps” demonstrates his ability to be vulnerable in his music.
Released 04/14/2023
Fuego Base & Black Soprano Family – Biggest Since Camby
With the arrival of Fuego Base, the Black Soprano Family welcomes another talented rapper into its ranks. The American artist has a distinctively deep voice when compared to his peers Rick Hyde, Heem B$F, ElCamino, and Benny the Butcher. This makes him recognizable as soon as he raps a verse, bringing the listener into his grimy world filled with violence and paranoia. With the help of many guest features and good production choices, the 42-minute runtime is necessary and covers well the different sounds Fuego Base can play with.
“Blocked” is a hard-hitting banger that features 38 Spesh and ElCamino, where Base is very comfortable painting a picture of a drug dealer that has nothing to lose except his life. “Chest Pains” is the most radio-friendly song because of its catchy hook by Mika Means. Nothing really sounds like it afterwards, with “Take A Look” and “The Warehouse” being absolute underground gems for any rap fanatic. The old-school beats are well produced as the modern 808s mix with the haunting keys scattered throughout the tracklist.
Released 04/20/2023
Grafh & 38 Spesh - Art of Words
The rap veteran is back with an amazing album that showcases his lyrical abilities, his wise choice of collaborations, and his versatility. He recruits 38 Spesh on the production boards, making this a true rap Renaissance album in its heart. Grafh knows what works well and what doesn’t when it comes to crafting a solid album. With almost no skips, “Art of Words” is a go-to record for anyone in need of street music that keeps you interested from start to finish. With 10 tracks running at 33 minutes, the listening experience is smooth and homogeneous.
The opening song “Life’s the Same” is calm and introspective, asking the listener to think about time and how we use it. The following tracks are all collaborations that show that Grafh is not easily outshined. Conway the Machine is cold as always on “Rain Falls” and Dave East is the perfect feature on “Every Day”. Bun B and Stove God Cooks have great verses on “Life Is Beautiful”. Rome Streetz is in rare form on the sample-heavy “Finesse”. The lone vocal performance from 38 Spesh is hidden on “Dirty Work”.
Released 04/14/2023